It appears head coach Mike McDaniel will remain under contract with the Miami Dolphins for a bit longer after reportedly agreeing to a three-year extension that will keep him in Florida through the end of the 2028 season.
McDaniel had two seasons left on the four-year deal that he signed when he took over in Miami in 2022.
McDaniel, 41, has overseen one of the best stretches the Dolphins have had over the last two decades during his brief tenure in Miami. The Dolphins have made the postseason both years he has been in charge, marking the first time since a stretch between 1997-2001 that they’ve made the playoffs in consecutive years.
Additionally, McDaniel has also been viewed as an instrumental factor in helping quarterback Tua Tagovailoa become one of the league’s top passers. The 26-year-old led the league in passer rating (105.5) and passing yards (4,624) in 2022.
Tagovailoa also praised McDaniel’s coaching style in a recent highly publicized interview, saying the head coach gave him positive reinforcement. Tagovailoa signed a four-year extension in July that made him one of the game’s highest-paid players as a result of his growth under McDaniel, keeping him under contract through the 2028 season as well.
McDaniel, who was previously the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator, has also helped Miami become one of the league’s best offenses. The Dolphins led the league in yards and were second in scoring last season. Star receiver Tyreek Hill has reached new heights in McDaniel’s offense, recording a career-high 1,799 receiving yards this past season.
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Even though the Dolphins have gone 20-16 and have made two playoff appearances with McDaniel at the helm, there have been some questions about their status as a true Super Bowl contender. They were one-and-done in the postseason each year, decisively losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round last year.
Still, there’s confidence in Miami that McDaniel is the right man to elevate the Dolphins, with owner Steve Ross having confidence in him due to his working relationships with the team’s executives, according to ESPN.
“We took a chance, but I was impressed by him,” Ross said of McDaniel during the Dolphins’ broadcast of their preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 17. “I mean his intelligence and as a person, he’s unique, certainly, and he’s doing a great job. Everybody loves him.”
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